Nifty News

Faithful Followers

Sunday, February 3, 2008

First off, I want to thank all my readers who took the time to send Austin a card or letter. I'm really impressed that so many of you spent so much time looking up, writing out, and printing off information about your towns. Thank you for all the pictures, cards, information, nice compliments,and offers of a place to stay if we ever get the chance to visit!

A special thanks to Paulette for the "Keep Austin Weird" t-shirt from Austin, TX, and to Charlene for the plastic bear containers of honey and mustard from Hillsboro, KS, and to Rebecca for the Mardi Gras beads from Baton Rouge, LA.

For those who have inquired - yes, you can still send a letter. This is an ongoing project that will continue until May. Our address is...Dawn MeehanPO Box 66274Chicago, IL 60666

OK, here are the answers to life's pressing questions...

question...mom to mom, more of a plea actually for much needed advice before I go insane. How do you get a 7 yr old to swallow a pill? Its Concerta for ADD so it cant be broken or chewed. I need help :( - KristyAh yes, there comes a time when, because of your age and weight, if you choose not to swallow a pill, you'll need to drink 1 1/2 cups of liquid penicilin. So, it's a good reason to teach your kids how to swallow a pill. I was horrible with this as a kid. My mom had me practice by swallowing dragees. Then I moved up to Red Hots. I've also heard that swallowing a pill with a little pop works because the carbonation helps so that you don't really feel the pill going down. It's hard when it's a time-release medication that can't be cut in half or broken or chewed at all. Maybe another reader has a good idea that could help. Good luck!

One of the best things my husband and I have ever done was going on a cruise to the Caribbean with Royal Caibbean. Our 25th is next year and we hope we can go on another one only to different islands. You and your hubby deserve to do that after your hectic year you are having! Just disappear for awhile. BrendaLOL! Funny you should say this. Joe and I went on a cruise for our tenth anniversary. It was my ideal vacation. Lying in the sun, drinking rum, and doing nothing more strenuous than reading. My husband, on the other hand, was so bored he ended up asking the maintenance guys if he could help fix leaky faucets, broken pumps, and the hydraulic winch. Needless to say, that was his first and last cruise. We talked about going for a little weekend getaway, but I'm sure you can guess how many people offered to watch the kids.

Sunday sound out ? What is your favorite meal to make that everyone will eat. I have a problem in that with 5 kids I normally have one that hates whateer I am making and I make them something different. - plainpreciousI haven't forgotten about the other requests for meal/shopping/cooking/budget ideas. I will get to it soon. Promise. All I'll say now is that if my kids don't like what I've cooked for dinner, they're free to make themselves a sandwich after they've at least tried a couple bites, but I will not make multiple meals.

do people who live in such frigidity actually bother to shave their legs at all in the wintertime?? When it's cold here in Florida, & I'm just wearing jeans everyday, then who cares how unsightly one's legs get??? - FLmomto4LOL! Well, I have no idea what other people do, but I shave every day because I'm just insane that way. I never want to see a Chia Pet growing out of my legs.

Do they make a red food coloring like that? I've been hoping for something that would actually make white frosting into red frosting ever since the Pink Spiderman Birthday Cake Incident of 2005. - AmieOoooo! Ooooo! Ooooo! I know this one, Mr. Kotter!

Use powdered colors! They give your icing a much deeper color without diluting it. Or you can also use a packet of cherry Kool-Aid to color your icing. I don't recommend this if you're covering a large area of cake with it because it tastes funky in my opinion. Another great way to darken your icing so Elmo, Lightning McQueen, and Spiderman aren't pink is to make it up a few days ahead of time and let it set in your fridge. It'll darken up a bit over time.

Hi Dawn, Oh My gosh...What a mess! Were there faces red for along time too? Was this in the summer months? It could have looked like a really bad sunburn. Or did the kids have to go to school that way? LOL..Oh and I think I saw that chair at the goodwill store. - Kristine in MichiganIt was really dark, their skin stayed stained for days, and no it wasn't in the summer. It happened when Austin was 3 and Savannah was 2 and it was the first day of Parent's Day Out at my church. It was fun taking my muti-colored children there that day.

Loved reading your FAQ Dawn! The rum is in the mail.... VanDerHoekArtWoooo Hoooo!!!!!!!

thanks for spelling "definitely" correctly. it really bugs me when people don't. bugs me to the point that i, without meaning to, lose a little respect for said people. i realize that's weird. - ChunkYou're welcome. Thank you for capitalizing correctly. ;)

I too have a clotting disorder and am pregnant again and doing the blood thinner shots everyday. What clotting disorder do you have exactly? - RamilinI have Prothrombin gene mutation.

So, where are the pictures?!? -another momPatience, young Jedi. I just had them taken. I should get them next week.

Are you ready for the snow tomorrow? Kathi S.Ugh. We've had so much snow this season already. I hate snow. I hate winter. I hate cold. Have I mentioned that I'm moving to Aruba yet? Speaking of snow, here are some pictures...Austin & Savannah in the snow fort they spent 3 hours making.

Looking up from inside

The outside

Dawn, I hope you included your husband in a few photos - it would be nice to have some family photos for later in life - that include everyone!!!!! We take professional photos each year of our son, but every other year, it is also a family shoot - with us in it also!I can't wait to see your book - and your beautiful photo! - Pam (Seattle)Nah, not in these pictures. I wasn't thrilled with the way they turned out and I didn't buy any actual prints anyway. I just bought the rights to two pictures. We do a family photo every couple years and Joe is in all the pictures with the kids because I'm the chief photographer.

My resolution was to go on a "no pepsi" diet. Figuring if I cut out those calories I wouldn't have to do a real diet. It has been amended to "no pepsi before 8 p.m." I really need it for my rum drink. You can't drink rum straight, right? - Patty, MD You can't? Seriously? Aw man, I've been doing it wrong.

Dawn wrote: "11. I will finish things that I start.This is now, "I will finish things that I start within a"Within a what??? Don't leave us hangin' girl!!! : P - BeccaOh sure, I'll be happy to finish this in just

In a land dominated by those of the female persuasion I feel it my duty to be the advocate for Joe. Give him the hard working man more of your time. Swap him with the "girl friends" place on your list. And be sure to tell him that I'm on his side. - RickAs much as I'd love to spend an evening listening to Joe's "if a monkey bit you" questions, you might remember that I have 6 kids and cannot leave them home alone.

A question for Sunday: Who are your favorite authors? - GeorgettaDoes Dawn Meehan count? LOL!I really don't get the chance to read very much. I wouldn't even say that I have any favorite authors. I've always liked Mark Twain though.

What a NEAT outfit!??! Where did you find something like that?? LowaIt's cute, isn't it? I got it here.

That was adorable. What a happy girl Brooklyn is! She reminds me of my own youngest who is 22 mos. I *LOVE* this age. I was trying to remember if you've ever said how old Brooklyn is? - PollyBrooklyn will be two this month. And "happy" isn't quite the adjective I'd use to describe her. Stubborn, spoiled, and cranky are words that fit her a little better.

I haven't been checking out your sideadds for a while. Imagine my surprise when I ran into the section for all those awards you have won.How long has that been there? - korkieThose aren't actually awards. At least not yet. They're nominations. Go ahead, click on them, and vote for any and all categories if you're so moved. :) Thanks!

Wow... what a crazy week! Of course, all your weeks are crazy, which is just what makes them so funny to read about. (No offense to you or anything, I'd love to come and help you out, but I love reading about them more.) Good luck next Monday. (good luck to me too, my oldest has a project and it's due... TOMORROW! AHH! :::is quickly going insane, which is not helping my kid at all:::

Anyway, (This is a SSO question) I know that mom's are "supposedly" not allowed to get sick, but what do you do when your hubby get's sick. I know I can't stand it, he's such a whiner at my place, LOL!.

Just love the Sunday sound off. I just thought of a question for NEXT Sunday... What is the age difference between Austin and Savannah? What is the height distance between those two? Is there any competition between Austin and Savannah with regards to their height? They look soo close in height. My oldest son, Tyler who is 13, is just inches taller than my 11 year old daughter Amanda. Whenever Tyler measures taller than Amanda, he does this little victory dance. So far, he's doing lots of dancing after all the height checks but I predict that Amanda will pass him up soon. Of coarse, they will both pass me up in a matter of one to two years... I'm a measly 5'4!! Oh well. I'm still taller than the other three kids! (For now...)

"thanks for spelling "definitely" correctly. it really bugs me when people don't. bugs me to the point that i, without meaning to, lose a little respect for said people. i realize that's weird. - ChunkYou're welcome. Thank you for for capitalizing correctly. ;)"

"Dawn wrote: "11. I will finish things that I start.This is now, "I will finish things that I start within a"Within a what??? Don't leave us hangin' girl!!! : P - BeccaOh sure, I'll be happy to finish this in just"

This is for the FL mom. I usually shave every other day during the summer & every 3-4 days in the winter. I just shaved a week ago after taking a month long break. I shaved at the end of Dec. then came down with the stomach flu. I was able to get past the prickly, irritating stage pretty easily what with the puking & such. After that, it became a challenge for myself to see how long I could go. Turns out a trip to an indoor waterpark was the breaking point. I didn't mind swimming laps with my friend at the Y with unshaven legs, but perfect strangers are a different story. Interestingly enough (or not), the leg hair has been a little slower to grow in since the big shave.

Hey girl!You need to post that people can vote for your blog nominations! I thought those were awards you ALREADY won...you could have tens of thousands of votes if people knew they could vote - cuz you ARE everyone's favorite!!!

My Mommy the nurse taught me to take pills by first taking a medium sip of water but not swallowing, then slip the pill in and swallow. No pill taste on your tongue and I can take those honking huge horse pills they call vitamins without issues! How she taught me this well you would have to call her!

I have a suggestion for swallowing pills. I have a hard time swallowing large ones...like my prenatal horsepill vitamins right now... Um I have great success swallowing anything big or bad tasting (non-coated) by chewing up a big bite of food, then as I'm ready to swallow, I shove the pill in the bite and swallow the pill in the middle of my food. This works especially well for the ones like Immodium that taste awful. You can't taste a thing because you hide it in your crackers or granola or whatever you choose to take a pill with. Hope this helps!

Here is an easy way to help your child swallow a pill...Put the pill on your tongue and drink through a straw. When you suck the drink up the straw, it forces the pill to the back of the throat and it just slides down. I just recently taught my 16 year old daughter to do this after having her wisdom teeth out, prior to this she really never required to take much medication and when she did she chose to just bite it ..ewwwww...within a few days of mastering it with a straw (which only took one try), she moved right to just drinking out of the water bottle, and almost immediately could even swallow bigger pills and more than one at a time...she got the confidence she needed by starting with the straw!! Good Luck..I also was a child who suffered with this problem, so I know how frustrating it is...hope it works!!

Dawn - hey! Love the snow fort. Just wanted to let you, and all your other Chicago readers, know (in case you didn't already) - the Field Museum admission is $0 (yes, free!) all during the month of February. I'm sure you and your 6 kids have been through it all before, but we took our baby through this morning and we all loved it. We went to Shedd Aquarium, too, because you recommended it...it is HUGE!

For the woman with the 7 yr old who won't/can't swallow the pill. In hospitals and nursing homes we often put them whole in applesauce, pudding or ice cream and then just have the person swallow the bite. Anything of that consistancy would do--oatmeal, yogurt, etc if you are looking for more healthy options. Hope that helps!

HA! I'm so glad my letter with the beads made it :o) I think the Austin shirt takes the cake though...that is too cute! I must admit, I am quite impressed with the snow fort. We used to build elaborate forts when I was a kid but that brick making tool is pretty neat. Glad you are enjoying all the snow this year!

What a great snow fort! Several years ago when we used to get measurable snow, we built an igloo just for fun. The next day our outdoor dog moved in and slept in there until it melted. Apparently is was the warmest place she could find.

Children swallowing pills? Mine took it as a challenge at an early age. Their cousins, who hated swallowing pills, were daunted by this and learned to swallow just because my kids could. Some kids are competitive that way.

There's always the "get the dog to swallow his pill" method. Put it in a spoon of peanut butter and the kid won't even know it's there.

I have a suggestion for taking pills with anyone who can't swallow 'em whole. My Mother-in-Law had Parkinsons's which affected swallowing, but she had to take pill form meds. Enter Ice Cream. Pick your favorite SMOOTH flaver (hers was Hagen Daz coffee), get a spoonful, plunk a pill on top, and let 'er slide on down. Cool, tasty, slippery. All you have to do is tilt your head back and gravity does all the work. Might work with the kiddoes...

I feel famous! You used my question! I'm surprised you don't have favorite authors; reading is the only thing that keeps me sane as a Stay at Home Mom -- it's my escape!I love your Sunday questions and I even followed your example on my own little blog.

Just a tip for the reader trying to get their child to swallow pills. My son had a problem getting pills down for the longest time. The only thing that helped was having him drink through a straw. It helped him open his throat enough to get the pill down. Now he can do it without any help. Hopefully this helps!!!

You said: Brooklyn will be two this month. And "happy" isn't quite the adjective I'd use to describe her. Stubborn, spoiled, and cranky are words that fit her a little better.

ROFL Our girls really *are* similar! Elsa can go from smiley and happy, dancing and playing, to unmoving and melting you with her glare. Our oldest was our most challenging toddler, but our youngest is certainly the moodiest ;). Perhaps it has to do with putting up with crazy older sibs (of which she has three ranging from 5-15).

Learning to swallow pills was quite traumatic for me, too. I think I was 11 or 12 and my mom was at her wit's end. I learned to swallow pills using a soup spoon full of apple sauce. Since apple sauce goes down so quickly/easily, a pill hides in there quite nicely and you hardly notice. I am now quite competent and can swallow horsepills if need be!

i am so happy to have found your blog - it really rocks lol - now i sound like my teenager. for the mom who needs help getting her 7 year old to swallow a pill - i never used the candy methods as some of the other mom's did - i used yogurt with fruit in it. kids don't chew the yogurt anyway, and with the chunks of fruit, mine never knew the difference between the pill and the fruit and presto - medicine taken - i have done this with all five of my kids - the dog too for that matter lol - and it has never failed - my 17 year old still takes her medicine this way lol.

Looks like you already have a lot of good ideas for swallowing pills but here's another. I was a slow learner too and learned with ice chips-accidental really. I was drinking something with crushed ice in it and of course you can't help but swallow some bits of ice as you drink. Well it dawned on me that if I could swallow these ice chips that were larger than a pill, I could swallow a pill. Ta da!

I can't rememeber the area you live in, but I hope it's not near where the shooting was. How awful was that? Hope everyone in your house is doing Awesome! Still enjoy Sunday Sound Out. Too bad I can't think of a question.

OH MY GOSH!! Thanks so much for being so flippin' funny! You totally made my morning. I've been foot wrestling with my 15 month old daughter for the last 15 minutes because she loves to get right under my pc desk due to her infatuation with the workings of the "magical" printer. When I read your capitalization comment I howled with laughter so loud that she looked up and laughed right along with me. Your pics of Austin and Savannah made me miss the snow for the first time in like EVER. My sibs and I ALWAYS built forts for the best snowball fights ever!!! Can't wait for the book - I'm gonna buy like three - and then hound you for your signing tour!!!

Hi Dawn, My husband proposed to me on a cruise ship. The really neat thing is I had a cheap blue heart shaped ring that only fit on my ring (wedding) finger. We made a wish on it and threw it into the ocean. We come to realize later that the date was April 14 the same day the Titanic sank. When that movie came out I could'nt believe that we tossed a blue heart shaped ring into the ocean. Cool Huh? Kristine in Michigan.

Kristy- I'm 24 and I still have problems taking pills. WHen I was a kid, I hated the way the pill tasted and it would always get stuck on my tongue before the water got in there. So this is what I do: I take a drink of water, then tip my head back open my mouth and drop the pill in. The idea is that when I swallow, it feels like I'm just drinking water, but the pill goes down, too. Hope that helps!

That fort is killer! I have to show that to my oldest 2 later, they'll love it.

As far as pill swallowing techniques.. I don't have much to offer. I guess you could always pry their mouth open like my mom used to do with the cat when she needed her meds, and cram it down their throat. Worked for Mr. Wiggles and his worms cleared right up ;).

LOVE the snow fort. My 11-year-old twins love to build these, but they have never done one like that. I'm wavering between showing them how cool your kids' fort is, because I know they'll appreciate it, to not showing them because I know they'll make me crazy asking for whatever tool your kids used. So, where did you get that perfectly-uniform-snow-fort-building-block-tool?Thanks!

I want to say I live in Texas where it's warm (70 today), but i have not shaved my legs since Christmas. I am fortunate and have blonde leg hair so no issues with people noticing the once a week when I wear a skirt to my mid calf and boots that go to my knee. I am debating the idea of a professional leg wax, that and I am not entirely sure what bush-whacking tool should be used for the mange down there now. Now don't think I am just lazy, the original no shaving (about 2 weeks) was because of some knee surgery I had, then the idea of the leg wax came to me, and although I only have one child, I just can't get to a salon for that or my annual haircut! *sigh* When does it become easy to leave the kid with the husband? I trust him but I get such a guilt trip for doing something for me!

I did not read through the 40 comments prior so I hope this isn't a repeat tip. Swallowing pills. My daughter is 11 and still can not swallow a pill. We have been told to have her practice on mini mnm's. Admittedly we have not been diligent about it. I'm liking the soda idea though and its given me renewed hope that soda and chocolate might just be the trick.

If the pill is a capsule like this http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/photos/narcotics/dexobarbital_capsule.jpg and it doesn't have to be taken on an empty stomach, you can pull the gelatin capsule apart and sprinkle the contents over mashed potatoes or something like that. Just make sure that the person knows not to chew the food the drug's sprinkled on.

As for hard capsules and tablets all I can do is go the way of everybody before me and suggest that you hide it in apple sauce or something like that. It's also suggested that you wet your mouth before you take a pill so that it doesn't stick to your mouth as easily.

I was an adult before I could swallow pills, and what helped me as well as the sticking it in things was adding the head position. If it is a tablet, tilt your head back so it gravity will send it down your throat but if it is a capsule, lean your head down and it will float to the back of your throat and make it easier to swallow.

WOW, now that's SOME FORT! Those are some talented and crafty kids you have! My brothers and I made forts sometimes (OK, they made them, I saw them after, but I do remember sometimes helping er, I mean trying not to tear down what they did)...but NOTHING like that! :) How did they make the perfectly formed cubes, etc? I miss snow...grew up in OH/MI but live in Dallas...you would have loved it here today. 75* and sun...and A/C on--is it February?!?! Thanks for making us laugh. God bless! :)

In regards to the "swallowing pills" comment: I had a really hard time swallowing pills as a kid. When I was really little, my mom would put the pill in a spoonful of applesauce. That worked pretty well.

The trick that FINALLY allowed me to swallow a pill was to fill my mouth with water, then pop the pill in and tilt my head back just a little. I would wait for the pill to float and then swallow. I gagged a few times, but eventually I figured it out and it's still the way I swallow pills. Water first, then the pill. I know most people do it the opposite way, but I can't do it that way.

Your blog is awesome! I can always count on a good belly laugh, especially with your Sound Off.

Swallowing pills - I just told them they would have to get shots if they didn't swallow the pills. (jk)

Shaving legs - God rewarded me with no hair growth on my legs (just my chin) after I endured two years of barking at anyone who came within 10 feet of me. Hooray for Menopause...now I just "touch up" when I go in for my yearly OB thing.

A possible alternative to a cruise - just do dinner and one night in a downtown hotel. You will be amazed at the results. Won't grams/gramps help out for 24 hours? Split the crew up if need be.

Yet more pill swallowing advice. I've heard (not tried it) that if you coat the pill in butter it will slide down better. And try to get it as far back in the mouth as you can so there's less distance it has to travel.

for your poster about kids swallowing pills the doctor suggested to us to put them in applesauce or yogurt so they slide right down. It has worked great for our kids. Especially those icky tasting steroid pills. They go right down with no taste.

My daughter has ADHD, too, and has to swallow a capsule. She's never had any problems (which surprised the daylights out of me!), but in other groups, I know that some parents practice having their kids swallow Tic Tacs. They're about the size of most of the pills. And on the up side...they'll have fresh breath, too!

Those are great suggestions for taking pills. I'm 38 and still HATE swallowing pills. I refused to take the prenatal horsepills because they made me gag. But silly me, even the capsules aren't foolproof. Just recently (as in a few weeks ago), I popped in an Aleve capsule for a headache, and the darned pill got stuck sideways in my throat! No amount of drinking, coughing or throat massage could get that baby down. It was making me gag because it was right behind my voicebox, so I had to stop somewhere (I was driving at that time) and force myself to throw up to get rid of it (which I also hate doing). Arrggh! Talk about stupid!

I don't know if FLmomto4 will read these comments, but I am one northern gal who shaves only occasionally during the winter. I just don't see the point of regularly shaving when I'm wearing pants all the time. Plus shaving makes my skin extra dry and itchy, and it's itchy enough from the heating.

I had a hard time learning to swallow pills. I finally figured it out when it was 16. Everybody always told me to take a big gulp of water when swallowing a pill, but never told me to *keep my tongue down*. (I would have it firmly on the roof of my mouth, often trapping the pill, and always reducing how much I was swallowing at once.) Mini M&Ms and other small candies are good for practicing.

If you've got a pill that you can crush, I had really good results from putting it a plastic bag, smashing it with a hammer (on a concrete floor) and putting the powder in the middle of a big glob of peanut butter.

Swallowing pills -- well, let's just say that my oldest child learned how to swallow pills before I did. But Sudafed doesn't come in liquid form, and they're teeny tiny, so I started with those and worked up to Advil. (Tired of drinking the whole bottle whenever I had a headache, never mind the toxic antibiotics they tried to make me take when I requested liquid/chewables.)

But anyway, now I can swallow things with liquid, but I actually can swallow them the best with chewy oatmeal cookies. Crackers will work too in a pinch.

See, I figured out that I swallow pieces of food way bigger than any pill with no problem. So I put the pill in a corner of my mouth, take a bite of a real piece of food, chew it a little (the food, not the pill) and then mix the chewed food with the pill (all inside my mouth using my tongue) and swallow it all together.

Works great, and I only need less than half a circle cracker or one tiny bite of cookie to trick myself into swallowing the pill. Sometimes it still takes a full glass of beverage to do it that way!

My childhood has been robbed from me. I grew up in South Texas and I have heard of snow forts, but I didn't know you could make them with bricks! I always imagined a snow fort would just be mounds of snow piled around, or digging in. I even drew diagrams of what it would look like. I had no idea you could make them with snow bricks! I never knew. What will I do with the rest of my life? I'm at a loss.

First of all, that fort ROCKS! Some kids in our neighborhood made a fort at the corner of our street ON the sidewalk (where I'd btw finished shoveling away ALL the snow from the sidewalk, including that which the snowplow shoved against the edge a mere half hour earlier -- and this was after 12"+ of snow) that lasted less than 12 hours before the roof caved in. Yours totally rocks. I love that plastic tool -- my kids will definitely be getting it as they get older (of course my from STL husband is paranoid that they'll have it collapse on them and be trapped and had to offer words of advice to the fort building kids about snow pockets and cell phones within reach in case of avalanche)!

And I was beginning to feel like such a loser, but thank you to those of you who don't shave in the winter. I haven't shaved since my annual at my OB in December and before that since going to FL in October. I'll shave again May 3 (friend's wedding) or when it's warm enough to wear shorts, whichever comes first.

About the pill swallowing thing, I used to have to help this lady take her birth control and it couldn't be crushed or cut so we would put it in a spoon full of pudding or yogurt. It was hid so she couldn't feel it and it was easy to swollow pudding! Good luck

1. Okay - AWESOME snow fort!!! Why is it that when I *finally* live in a place with significant snow fall (Sault Ste Siberia, MI)I can't find those snowbrick makers? (grrr!)2. Shaving - The other day my 17-year-old son (who if he lives another 8 days will be 18) says to me [and I quote] "Mom, you'd better shave or the next time you walk downtown somebody might throw red paint on you for wearing fur!" And I had only gone a week without shaving! Gotta love him! Always the commedian! (wonder where he gets it from?)

I'm waaaay late on this, but just wanted to say that I have protothrombin gene mutation (Factor II) as well, that was also discovered after I had a blood clot. Like you, I am also probably going to have a big family so I have many more days of Lovenox shots to look forward to.